Will conventions change views of Trump and Clinton?

An unpredictable presidential campaign enters a new phase this month with the Republican and Democratic national conventions.

The GOP convenes today in Cleveland and the Democratic Party a week later in Philadelphia, with the nominees for president expected to be Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, respectively.

To say that there have been some twists and turns is an understatement.

“This election has been one surprise after another,” says Samara Klar, an assistant professor in the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona.

“I think our standards for what constitutes a ‘major’ campaign surprise have skyrocketed, given how inured we’re becoming to constant surprises. So I can’t help but think that this election has many, many more surprises in store. Of course, I can’t say what they’ll be. That’s what a surprise is all about.”

Klar is a coauthor of Independent Politics(Cambridge University Press, 2016), a book that attempts to explain what motivates so many Americans to identify as independent—and why it matters so much for American politics. She discussed some questions about the 2016 presidential campaign and the conventions this week and next.